Wyoming Hate-crime Bills Fail Despite Shepard Death

February 04, 1999|By From Tribune News Services.

CHEYENNE, WYOMING — Four months after gay college student Matthew Shepard was beaten to death, a move to pass hate-crime legislation in Wyoming was scuttled Wednesday by a committee. Supporters said their hopes were ended for the year.

Wyoming is one of nine states without bias-crime laws, and lawmakers have rejected similar measures four times since 1995.

After Shepard's death in October, calls for bias-crime legislation increased; Republican Gov. Jim Geringer for the first time supported it.

Geringer said Wednesday that he was disappointed the legislation did not reach the Senate floor for debate, but he added that no law can change how people think about each other.

"What I call on the people of Wyoming to do is to recognize that there are 480,000 of us that have unique capabilities, limitations--whatever they might be--and let's not hold that against each other," the governor said. "Let's find a way to build the community of Wyoming."

Two measures died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both would have increased the maximum fine for a felony by up to $5,000 and raised the maximum prison sentence by up to five years if prosecutors could prove the crime was motivated by bias.

Opponents said they objected to listing motivating factors, such as race, religion and sexual orientation, saying the bills offered special protection to certain groups. Others said no new laws are needed, just strict enforcement of existing measures.

Shepard's parents, meanwhile, say they don't want his death used by activists to further any political agenda.

"It's a very frightening concept as a parent that your son now becomes a martyr, a public figure for the world," Judy Shepard told "Dateline NBC" for a story scheduled to air Friday. "He's just our son."

The 21-year-old Shepard died after a beating Oct. 7. Police said he was chosen as a victim in part because he was gay.